by Dawn Gray
He put his hand up, stopping me, not really having heard what I said to begin with and looked at me.
“They want me to end the story, Cait. Can we talk about his later?” He asked, quietly.
“Yeah,” I replied, shrugging, “sure.”
He kissed my cheek and walked back towards the others. I watched him leave then made my way, once again, to the large oval garden to the west of the house. I stood along the furthest wall, looking out at the star filled sky as I listened to Julian's voice in my head. We had an open line of mental communication so that I could hear what he said.
* * * * *
“She seemed well enough when she woke up and that next afternoon I watched her and Creolas walking around the yard. He seemed so different, like having faced Klamara again took all that anger away. I cringed every time I saw them together, feeling the strange pull at my heart.” Julian looked up at the moon, crossing his arms over his chest.
* * * * *
“Hello, beautiful.” A voice whispered in my ear as arms wrapped around me from behind. I smiled at the voice and leaned my head back against his chest, looking up at Creolas' face. It always shocked me to see him with his dark hair and deep blue eyes. “It's a lovely night, so why are you out here all alone?”
“It's almost done.” I sighed and turned in his arms to face him fully. “And, Julian doesn't even have a clue.”
“That's good, isn't it?” He questioned.
“In a way, but you know how he feels about me and how I feel about him, but I don't want him to think that there's a chance for us, if you and I are together.” I stepped away from Creolas and made my way to the vine covered gazebo then sat on the step that lead up to it. Creolas knelt down in front of me and took my hands. “It just makes me wonder how he'll handle news like that.”
“Well, he'll either accept it, or he'll freak out.” Nick's voice spoke up as he walked over. Creolas stood up and shook his brother's hand. “I hope you've been behaving.”
“I'm afraid not too.” Creolas smiled and glanced down at me. “She might hurt me.” I slapped him across the back of his calf and watched him jump. “Ouch.”
“Does Julian know you're here?” Nick asked. Creolas smiled, happily and shook his head.
“Does he know about you?” He asked back.
“Not a clue.” Nick laughed and the two of them looked down at me, as I put my hands on my knees. “What about you?”
“Of course he knows I'm here. Don't be silly.” I replied, standing up. “He's probably over there right now telling them about how after Klamara was defeated; I decided to move down here to be close to him, under the guise of working as a business partner.”
“Didn't you?”
“Well, yes, but that's not the point.” I shook my head as the three of us walked over to the side of the garden where we could see everyone clearly. I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed. “How I would love to walk over there and set the record straight, that this wasn't over, not by a long shot, but how much does she really need to know. I mean, she's gotten a lot more than she should have.”
“You really shouldn't blame her, Cait; after all she's just a vampire.” Creolas said, casually, leaned down and kissed me gently on the cheek before he backed up into the shadows as Julian approached.
“He's right; she's not that important, not anymore, so you really shouldn't worry.” Nick added, and then touched my cheek, gently, with his fingers as he backed away. I grabbed his hand, stopping him, and he smiled. “We'll be close.”
“That's what I wanted to hear.” I whispered and let him go. Julian stepped up just as Nick disappeared into the darkness. He smiled at me, but I couldn't manage a smile back. “There's something we need to discuss.”
“I know; I can feel it.” He whispered. “It's about Ashley, isn't it?”
“Ashley? Well, yes, in a way, but it's more to do with us.”
“Us?” He asked, confused. I nodded and sighed. “What about us?”
“We're friends, right?” I questioned, watching him nod slowly. “Then, I think you should know something about me.”
“Like what?” He asked, softly.
“I'm in a relationship.”
“I know; with Robert.” He looked over my face, and then I could see his pain, one that mirrored mine, in his eyes. “Who else?”
The fact that he had caught on so quickly seemed to shock me, and it took me a moment to answer back, but in that small moment, he asked one more question.
“How long has this been going on?” I turned from him and walked out to the steps that lead from the garden down to the grass. It was the place I had first seen Julian those many years ago, then I turned back to see that he had followed me. “You said we needed to talk about it, so talk.”
“It started after Klamara, after we beat him that last time.” I sat up on the wall and looked out at the grass. “I was still angry with you, that you had lied and taken my memories from me. So, I started to surround myself with things that would help me remember more of the things that I had forgotten, and the biggest was Creolas.
“I would follow him into the city, into the club and I'd watch how he worked. I was fascinated by what he did and how he did it.” I watched Julian close his eyes and turn his head away, but I continued. “He caught me, one night, following him and he was pretty mad about it, not like he would have been if it had been before his change, but it was still anger and at first it scared me, but I got over it pretty quickly.”
“So, is he why you moved down here, with me?” Julian questioned. I shook my head, and stared at him. I knew he hadn't seen my response, so, when he turned back to me, I shook my head again.
“The reason I moved down here was to be closer to you, because I loved you. You were and always will be my best friend and I wanted you to be in Damien's life, despite his lack of knowledge.” I got down from the wall and made my way down the steps.
“Your relationship with Creolas, how serious is it?” I turned and glanced up at him, as I stepped off into the lush grass and smiled. His voice had changed in an instant, taking on a more interested tone.
“I'm not sure how you would classify it.” I laughed, and watched him step up beside me. “It's a bit more than friendship, and a little less than lovers, kind of a semi-platonic partnership.”
“I guess that's not so bad.” He shrugged. “Actually, it sounds a bit like us.”
“You're right, it does.” I shrugged and looked up at the bright moon. “So, has Ashley popped any questions at you yet?”
“I told her that the story wasn't done yet.” I stopped and looked at him, as if to ask what he meant. “I want you to tell her what happened next, after you were well.”
“I thought we were going to leave that out.” I questioned. “Remember what you said, something’s are best left alone?”
“It really wasn't that bad when you think back on it.”
“All right, if that's what you'd like me to do, then fine but I think we should do it soon. I have guests coming at two.”
“This morning?”
“Yes, it was the only time they could make it.” I waved it off as we walked back to the party.
20
I sat down next to Quinn, who glanced at me, then over at Julian who was talking to Ashley. He turned in his chair and leaned in closer to me. I smiled at him as a knowing smirk crossed his face.
“Spit it out.” I laughed at him. His smile widened as he folded his hands together on the table.
“Does Julian know that those two are here?” I wanted to ask how he knew, but didn't.
“Does it matter?” I questioned back.
“Not really.” Quinn sat back and looked over at Ashley. “Should I be worried about him?”
“No.” I answered, truthfully. “Don't get me wrong, she will hurt him, one more time, but that will only make him stronger. Julian is destined for something else, something bigger than what he is with her.”
“You can see this?” Q
uinn whispered.
“It started out as something I read in one of Larado's books and with it brought a vision.” I got up and touched Quinn on the shoulder. “Don't worry, things will get better.”
Julian smiled at me, and I saw that there wasn't any less love in his eyes now that he knew about Creolas and me then before when he didn't have a clue. I rubbed my hands together as I leaned back against the wall.
“Things seemed to be fine for a while after we finally defeated Klamara. I was getting to know Creolas better and Nick and Julian seemed to be getting along, putting their differences aside for once since they didn't have to focus on protecting me, or at least we thought.” I closed my eyes and thought back to that night, two weeks after our brush with death. “I had let Robert know that I had been offered a job here, helping Julian with his business, but at the time, I had decided not to take it. Robert thought it would be a good idea to keep an open line of communication.”
“Robert let you spend that much time with a man you supposedly just met?” Ashley questioned. I shook my head, smiling then continued without replying to her directly.
“Robert knew that Julian and I were old friends. He thought we had gone to school together, and despite what you might think, I never told him we had. When I told him the truth, that I had come down here to find out if he really existed, he came to his own assumptions that we had known each other from school.” I rubbed my forehead, and then looked over the faces of the people in front of me. I decided then that I had to just get on with it and stop trying to stall. “We decided, that night, to go out to a club. Connie had come down to bring Damien to me but decided to stay when she found out Nick was around. So, with Damien in the care of a nanny, the five of us went out.”
* * * * *
It had been almost three years since I had stepped foot in a club of any kind, so, when we entered the nightclub called the Ravenloft; I was a bit surprised that things hadn't changed much.
The bar was crowded but the three tall men that we were with seemed to make space rather quickly. It wasn't long before the five of us sat, relaxing and chatting among the loud music and moving bodies. Things unfortunately weren't going to stay that peaceful.
Connie and I had moved out to the dance floor one level below our table and from where we stood dancing together to the fast pace of the music, we could see the three men looking on.
I watched them, as my body swayed and moved, provocatively to the beat of the music. I felt so alive, suddenly, and then everything seemed to grow dark for an instant. I stopped moving and stood looking up at the strobe lights, wanting the vision to appear again, but it wouldn't. Connie looked over the expression on my face, and then she took my hand.
“What is it?”
“Something's wrong.” I answered her, looking around the floor trying to locate the three men we had come in with. “Where are the boys?”
“They're up there. I signaled them to come down here when your face became so pale.” Connie explained. Creolas stepped up beside me, with concern in his eyes. “Where are the others?”
“We have to leave, now.” He ordered, and then looked from one of us to the other. I felt his hand grasp mine as we moved through the crowd, and then he stopped, quickly and turned to look at me. “Take Connie and run.”
“What is it?” I whispered stepping closer to him and that was when I saw the strange dart in his neck. “What's going on?” I pulled it out gently, but the effect it was having on him told me it was too late. Creolas leaned against me as his knees began to give out. I turned and looked up at Connie as I knelt down on the floor with Creolas, who seemed to be slowly blacking out. “You have to leave.”
“What are you talking about?” She asked, confused. “What's going on?”
“Listen to me.” I asked of her, standing up. “Something is wrong here. Please, leave the club, go to the house, get Damien and get out.”
“Caitlyn, I don't understand.” She whispered, softly. That was when I felt the pain in my neck. I reached up and touched the spot where the pain was. “What is that?”
I looked at the thin, long, dark brown, wooden dark that I had pulled out of the skin in my neck. The tip that had pierced me had a strange blue tip that looked a bit like gel. I turned my gaze from the dart to Connie as my vision started to blur.
“Go, please.” I whispered, and then struggled to hold my balance. I watched Connie's face fade out and I reached out for her. “Connie, run.”
I felt her leave, step away from my grip, and my world became completely black. I could still feel myself falling, even though I couldn't move to stop myself. I hit the dance floor hard enough to feel the wind rush from my lungs, then there was nothing.
When I opened my eyes, the only thing I could see was the grass that grew in front of me. I turned, slowly, from the fetal position that I was laying in. All of my muscles were sore, as if I had just finished a five-mile run in record time and it took quite an effort to stretch out and begin to move.
My eyes, still blurry from the drug that had been on the dart, focused in and out, bringing the stars into clear view. I moaned, involuntarily, as I turned my head to the right and spotted the three large wooden poles that stood before me. With the help of a small bonfire that sat just before the edge of the property, before it fell into the ocean, I made out the shapes of each man tied to the poles.
This made my body move and I got up, on unsteady legs, to make my way over to them. The one closet to me was Creolas, who was still unconscious, his head was down so that I couldn't see his face, but as I reached up to move his hair, I could feel the stickiness on it before I saw the blood that covered the side of his face.
The wound where the blood had come from had healed shortly after it happened but his face seemed whiter then usual. Gently, I stroked his face with my fingers, feeling the smoothness beneath them. I hadn't expected a response, but it still made me a bit nervous that I had woken up before him.
Slowly, I moved away, walking to the last man in the line, Nick, who was staring at me with narrowed eyes. He seemed to not have any strength because he could barely look up when I put my hands on his chest.
“Connie?” He whispered, and at first, I thought he might have been asking if I were her, but then the tone of his voice was one of concern, which made me realize he was asking about her.
“She's safe, Nick.” I replied, touching his cheek. He gave a weak nod, then closed his eyes and slipped into unconsciousness.
“You shouldn't be here.” Julian's voice spoke strangely to me. I moved to him, as he looked up in my direction. Julian was the man in the middle and I stood directly in front of him, looking up at those strong green eyes. “You should leave, now.”
“Julian, if Creolas couldn't order me to leave the night we faced Klamara; you certainly aren't going to get me to move being tied to a pole.” I smiled at him and watched him roll his eyes.
“Now is not the time to be cocky. You're not immortal, you know.” He said, sternly. I moved around behind him and began to work at the knot in the rope, when I felt the hand on the back of my neck.
It squeezed tightly, making me freeze as if I were a cat caught by the skin of its neck. Whoever was behind me pushed me out towards the spot that I had woken up in, then turned me to face the three boys. I watched Julian's face, still not having seen the person who held me prisoner, but I knew one thing, he, or she, was definitely a vampire.
“Hello, Julian.” The voice seemed to boom up behind me. It was familiar in a strange way, then slowly, in my mind, the voice connected to a face, but before I could comprehend the thought of who I was seeing, Julian ended my guessing.
“Auron; let her go.” He demanded, struggling against the ropes that held him.
“That's a bit disrespectful, don't you think? Addressing me in such a common way.” Auron released me and stepped up a few feet to my side. “I'm your father, Julian, you should show some respect.”
I watched him move in a half circle, makin
g his way from one prisoner around behind me to the other, before he stood beside me again, and looked at Julian.
“Why are you holding us like this?” Julian demanding to know.
“In due time.” Auron replied and turned to me. Slowly, I turned to face him also. “My, my, what do we have here? Why, it's Larado's little stray. How did you last the centuries?” I watched him step closer, staring me in the eyes. “Ah, still so defiant.” He grabbed me by the hair on the back of my head and pulled my head back. “Cast your eyes away, peasant!”
“Oh, grow up!” I told him.
“Caitlyn!” Julian scolded. I grabbed Auron's arm and tugged at it, trying to make him let go, but I couldn't budge it. He sneered at me then whipped his arm, tossing me to the ground. I sat there, in the dirt, staring up at him.
“On to your question, why am I doing this?” Auron crossed his arms and paced back and forth, keeping me in close proximity to him. “I received word that about two weeks ago, the four of you destroyed my father.”
“It was long overdue!” I answered then felt the back of Auron's hand across my face.
“It's what you wanted, isn't it?” Julian asked.
“Yes, but I wanted to be the one who did it.” He said, like a spoiled child who hadn't gotten what he wanted. “I've been searching for him for centuries to destroy him for what he had done to my mother. If he hadn't made the deal with that witch, my mother would have never become a vampire.”
“What do you want with us?” Julian asked, getting aggravated as he fought against his restraints.
“I want the one who killed him. I want to taste the blood of the victor. I want my closure.” Auron demanded. “Now, tell me which one of you did it, or I'll kill this pitiful human right in front of you.”
“I killed him.” I spoke up, standing up in the spot where I had landed. Auron turned to me and laughed.
“So, now you have a stray fight your battles for you, son?” He asked.